Say It's Forever (Redemption Hills #2)(40)

She sent me a scowl.

“You shut it. I want it perfect. This is my BFF’s engagement party. When she walks through those doors to her surprise…” She waved a hand at the double doors that sectioned off the upscale room. “She needs to be wowed, shocked, her breath literally stolen from her lungs when she sees what we put together for her.”

She pressed her hand to her chest like she couldn’t believe I would think otherwise.

Girl was a nutter.

But she loved Eden like mad, so that was what counted.

Still, I couldn’t help but give her shit. Considering Eden was about the least pretentious chick I’d ever met, I was pretty sure she wouldn’t care if we were throwing together a barbeque with hot dogs and a few cold brews.

But whatever.

Place was nice and the food smelled like heaven, so I wasn’t going to complain too much.

“Besides, you don’t exactly look like a party planner to me. Your opinion on these matters doesn’t count.” Tessa needled that from the side, shooting me a mocking glare.

“Yet you don’t have a problem with me footing the bill.” My brow arched in challenge from where I was leaned against the long banquet tables where the servers were setting up. Four of them were scurrying around about as quickly as Tessa, bringing out these giant, silver chafing dishes and setting them over burners.

A full prime-rib, lasagna, chicken piccata, and a vegetarian entrée, plus a bunch of different sides and shit, too.

Other trays were filled with fruits, cheeses, and meats.

Not to mention this dessert fiasco Tessa was in up to her wrists.

“Only the best for Eden.”

“That’s right! Only the best for my dad and my new mom because they are the specialist in the whole world, and we love them all the way to the highest mountain. Right, Auntie, right?”

Gage had come skipping over, all eager smiles and delight as he pushed up on his toes to get a better look at the cupcakes. “Yummy!”

“That’s right, Gage,” she said, poking out her lips like I was some kind of common criminal.

It wasn’t that far from the truth.

“Right, Uncle?” Gage pressed, angling his head, little peacemaker that he was.

“Yeah. That’s right, Gage in the Cage. Only the best for your mom and dad.”

“Now you got to find a nice wife who’s so pretty like my new mom who makes the best pigs in the blanket ever and reads me stories every night.”

Affection tightened my chest, all mixed up with a knot of agony.

I patted his head and tried to keep the anxiety out. “That’d be nice.”

The words were brittle and a total lie, but I couldn’t help but agree, considering the kid was so damned sweet.

He had dropped to his knee with Trent yesterday, Trent asking Eden to be his wife while Gage had asked her to be his mom.

Think everyone had just about lost it with how adorable it was—mostly my big brother who’d been completely rocked again, like somehow in his head he’d thought there was a chance that Eden wasn’t going to say yes.

Preparing himself for another blow.

Not a chance. He’d found the best girl around. Someone who knew his demons and loved him in spite of them. Saw beyond the scars to what was underneath. The two of them coming together to make each other better.

Old pain cut me to the core.

A dull blade slowly driven through my chest.

Fuck.

Had to beat it back. Wasn’t about to be jealous of my brother. He deserved it.

What didn’t help was the wash of guilt that came rushing in behind it. The kind that wanted to consume.

My mind kept traipsing back to Wednesday evening when I’d dropped Salem at her house.

I’d acted like a total prick.

And did that stop me?

Nope.

I’d just continued to basically ignore her for the rest of the work week. Problem was, I didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know how to explain. Had no way to break through the grief that got bottled in my throat every time she and I were alone.

It would only amplify it when she’d cast those dark blue eyes on me like she’d expected something different.

Something better.

When the only thing I’d felt was shame.

Even when she’d looked at me with disappointment, the draw we both were trying to ignore still had raged.

It was like her spirit was surrounded by a brick wall. Only that wall had a fuckin’ crater gaping open in the middle of it, and there was a part of her silently begging me to find my way through it.

Thing was, we both knew that weak spot shouldn’t have been compromised to begin with.

Thursday had been plain painful, nothing but feigned pleasantries and barely clipped conversations.

Tiptoeing.

Pretending.

At least the whole proposal bit had provided a distraction. I’d cut out of work at noon on Friday to make sure I was at the school in plenty of time for the proposal, then Logan and I had taken Gage camping last night so Eden and Trent could spend the night alone together.

Eden thought we were camping tonight, too, and believed Trent was taking her out for an intimate dinner for the two of them to celebrate.

Little did she know intimate meant about every single person she knew.

“They’re gonna be so surprised that they get to have the best party in ever and ever.”